It has been well-documented that the Jets are trying to build a strong offense around Sam Darnold, helping him unlock his potential.
They’ve already revamped their offensive line, as well as touched up their rather depleted receiving corps. However, their work might not be done on shoring up the latter.
As it stands, the top receivers on the Jets include Breshad Perriman, second-round pick Denzel Mims, Jamison Crowder, and Chris Herndon. After that, the depth chart is fairly weak. The Jets’ defense is already solid, all they need is an improvement on the offensive side of the ball to become a playoff contender.
But who could be of interest?
The Detroit Lions possess some decent receivers despite disappointing in recent years. One of those gems is Kenny Golladay, who can be an interesting fit for the Jets.
Golladay, 26, is a great pass-catcher with decent speed and a big frame. He would mesh in nicely to a Jets core that has plenty of players with untapped potential. Mims would be able to go deep and catch the longer throws, Perriman can go and be a primary target and yards-eater, Crowder would be great in the slot, and add Golladay as a red zone and third-down threat, both areas the Jets have struggled with in the past.
The former third-round pick had his best season in 2019, making the Pro Bowl and leading the NFL in receiving touchdowns (11). Keep in mind the Lions were 3-12-1 and didn’t have their top quarterback Matthew Stafford for eight games. Despite this, Golladay saw 116 targets, catching 65 of them for 1,190 yards, averaging a whopping 18.3 yards-per-reception. He had five games over 100 yards including a 158-yard game in Week 13 against the Chicago Bears.
Golladay has been dubbed by many as a potential stud and his stock has continued to rise rapidly. He is tied with superstar Julio Jones in contested catches (43) since 2018, and he showed that he can make a receiving corps better with his presence. Danny Amendola and Marvin Jones Jr. were able to make the most out of themselves with Golladay stepping up the way he did in 2019, which the Jets could benefit from greatly.
It might be difficult to pry the young receiver away from Detroit despite it being the final season of his contract. However, it’s not impossible and trading for him would be a good opportunity for Joe Douglas to flex his muscles after a strong offseason.
